British troops in Afghanistan will not be ignored by the new coalition government, defence secretary
Liam Fox promised.

Liam Fox talks to troops (Photo: PA Wire)

Visiting the war-torn country for the first time since taking office, Dr Fox said: âI will give you my promise that we will do everything we can to ensure that, whatever you are asked to do, you are properly, fully equipped to do so, to maximise your chance of success and minimise the risk to you.â

Dr Fox also promised the operational allowance would be doubled from the present £2,600 per six-month tour for those on the frontline.

âWe will announce that we are going ahead with that. The details of that will be announced in the Budget next month,â he added.

Dr Fox, foreign secretary William Hague and international development secretary Andrew Mitchell flew into Camp Bastion in the early hours on Sunday after a day of talks in Kabul.

They were diverted to Camp Bastion in Helmand province after Kandahar airfield came under attack from rocket fire.

Mr Hague praised the âenormous progressâ that had been made in the past two years but refused to put a date on when the 10,000 British troops serving in Afghanistan might start to withdraw from the country.

Their ministerial visit was tempered by the death of another British serviceman on Friday. Cpl Stephen Walker, of A Company 40 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in an explosion in Sangin, Helmand province.